QENM3-012

Maintaining Electrical Equipment

By Jordan Leah

1. Before I commence the preparation and tidying of my work area I must

firstly perform some inspections of the area to ensure that it is safe to
approach and begin working in the area. Firstly ill visually inspect the
area to ensure no dangerous objects are in the area. These could include
bare electrical wires, moving objects and unstable objects. Visually
inspect the condition of the floor to ensure no slip or trip hazards are in
the work area. Use a multimeter to ensure that none of the wires I am
coming into contact with are dangerously live.

2. Isolation and lock off procedures are needed at work to ensure

maintenance activities can be safely carried out on a machine or circuit.
Isolation can be carried out by either turning an isolation switch or
flicking a circuit breaker inside an electrical board, on older electrical
boards removing the cartridge fuses can isolate the circuit. When
isolating a circuit it is important to lock the circuit off also so no-one can
turn it back on, or in the case of removing the fuses ensure they are
placed in a safe place away from the board so they don’t get replaced,
this can be done by inserting a padlock into the hole in the isolator
switch and closing it when the switch is turned to off.

3. It is important to recognize someone who has suffered from electric

shock in order to protect yourself and the victim’s wellbeing. The main
symptom of a victim who has received a severe electric shock is usually
white or very pale blue skin. The victim may also have a weak or absent
pulse, burned skin and stiffness of the body. Before you administer first
aid you must ensure the victim is no longer in contact with the power
source, or if they are turn the power source off and remove them from
danger, when it is safe to do so call for help then start CPR.
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4. When carrying out maintenance activities harm can be caused to any

person when they are exposed to live parts of an electrical circuit that
are either touched directly or indirectly by means of some conducting
object or material. Voltages over 50 volts AC or 120 volts DC are
considered hazardous. Harm can also be caused by misusing electrical
tools; this can be such as incorrectly using a voltmeter or using non-
electrical screwdrivers on live terminals. These hazards can be
minimized with proper training when around electrical equipment, also
by using correct equipment for the job at hand. Also the safest way of
avoiding electrical shock is to isolate the source of power to ensure even
if a live terminal is touched it can’t be dangerous.

5. Making the workplace safe is the employer’s most important job, and
making the workplace safe includes providing Provision in the form of
protective equipment to encourage people to work safely and
responsibly. Even where engineering controls and safe systems of work
have been applied, some hazards might remain. PPE is there to protect
the wearer and also other users making everyone seen and following the
same procedures.

6. To obtain any document of importance it is important to have it saved

to a local drive on a computer, this can be using some maintenance
reporting software or just a local shared drive. The best way to find
previously unseen documentation is to use the internet, when
performing a search for the specific document such as a manufacturer’s
manual or an electrical drawing. When searching for the document it is
important to use short precise search words that are most important to
the document required. And when the file is found it is important to
save it in an easily accessible place to be able to use it easily the next
time it is needed.
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7. Components that have been maintained can vary in shapes and sizes,
these can include contactors that can connect a circuit and break it
when a signal is gained, relays that can also connect a circuit when a
signal is reached, sensors that can relay information to the machines PLC
to allow it to operate, encoders that relay positional information to the
PLC to allow it to know its position. All these components can be
maintained or replaced when they become faulty. In order to find out if
they are faulty electrical tests must be carried out on them, and when
they are proved to be faulty it is best practice to replace the old
component with one of the same specification so the circuit will work in
the same way.

8. There are many different cables used for many different applications in
the electrical industry, there is Steel wire armoured cable (SWA), SY
cable, single stranded cable, twin and earth cable, Cat 5 cable, and many
more. SWA cable is constructed with multiple cores in the centre and
protected by 2 layers of plastic insulation and steel strands of metal
outside it, this steel prevents the cores inside from becoming damaged
as they are usually carrying high loads, SWA cables use the steel
protections as an extra earthing mechanism also by the use of a copper
gland attached to the appliance, this has an earthing lug attached to it
that is terminated in the application, this will help protect the cable
electrically and mechanically. Single stranded cable is just 1 core of cable
that is usually fed through trunking in circuits and is covered in different
coloured insulation to symbolize what the cable is doing. Twin and earth
cable is used in domestic electrical builds; this involves 1 line wire, 1
neutral wire and an unprotected earth wire.

9. There are many different types of motors such as squirrel cage motors,
inductive motors, single phase motors and three phase motors just to
name a few. Squirrel cage motors are most common here and they can
be ran on either 2 or 3 phases. They are either wired in star or delta and
require an electrical starter which is usually either a contactor or an
inverter if it wishes to be variable speed.
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10. Control systems consist of open loop and closed loop systems. The
control action of the controller is independent of the process variable in
an open-loop control system. An example of this is a timer-controlled
oven burner in a plastic injection molding machine. The control action is
to turn the oven on or off. The variable of the process is the temperature
of the oven. This controller applies heat for a constant duration
irrespective of the oven temperature. The control action from the
controller depends on the desired and actual process parameter in a
closed-loop control system. In the case of the oven, it would use a
thermostat to regulate the temperature of the oven and feed a signal
back to ensure that the temperature of the oven is maintained by the
controller output to that set on the thermostat.

11. Junction boxes are components that allow a circuit to branch off in
many different ways, junction boxes are usually wired into with a source
wire to allow the circuit to run, and then a range of wires and circuits
can be connected to the circuit in order to create more circuits joined on
to one common power source. Another component used would be a
switch, these can be used to stop or start a circuit depending on if it’s a
normally open contact or a normally closed contact. They are mainly
used on production equipment for example a start/stop circuit on a
conveyor belt.

12. Fluorescent lights are most commonly used to light up the workplace;
this involves a light fitting with a starter in it with fluorescent stripped
lamps in the fitting to illuminate the area. The lamp works by taking in
AC current from the supply straight into the ballast which steps down
the AC to a suitable voltage to use for its self, it then uses the electrical
starter to ignite its self.
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13. While assembling a circuit, it is good practice to use a cable enclosure

to secure the cables where they are protected from damage, when used
correctly, enclosure systems always look neater and more professional.
Including metal and plastic conduit, tray work and trunking systems. The
conduit is small and usually circular, it can hold a number of cables and
can be shaped and bended to fit the shape of the area it is installed in.
Conduit systems are often laid to involve junction boxes where cables
can be connected and power can be transferred to many different
places. Tray work is another type of enclosure system, and this is used to
hold thick SWA cables most commonly, tray work is a thin and wide
piece with holes in it for the cables to be cable tied in, this will keep the
cables neat and safe from damages.

14. When looking after electrical measurement equipment it is important

to ensure the equipment is stored in a safe dry place away from extreme
weather. When handling electrical test equipment it is important to
keep hands and bare skin away from electrical contacts that may be live,
this will protect the test engineer from potential electrical shocks given
out by the circuit if the tester comes into contact with the bare terminal.
The application of an ohmmeter is to measure the resistance of a circuit,
this is a dead test and can be done to check a certain wire isn’t broken or
lacking insulation, or it can be done to check a wire isn’t connected to
earth anywhere. A multimeter is an electrical test instrument that
combines many different electrical tests in 1 meter, all multimeters
contain the voltage test function in AC and DC, the current
measurement function, resistance measurement function and usually
continuity function.

15. When a piece of equipment needs to be repaired or replaced, it must

be sent to the appropriate place to be repaired, it may be the
manufacturer of the items or a registered repairer who can provide a
guarantee of their work in order to repair it. We will usually have a spare
item on stock for swapping while we wait for the other one to come
back which will be placed on stock until the other one packs in.
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16. Several checks should be carried out in order to check the replacement
components meet the requirements for the applications for which they
are needed. Such checks may include physical inspections such as size
and weight, as well as mechanical inspections such as movement and
location of holes for mounting. Electrical components must comply with
specifications to fit the application for which they are required, these
specifications include: voltage ratings, current ratings, power ratings,
working temperature ranges and tolerances away from these set values.

17. There can be many different ways of joining or dismantling a piece of

equipment, which can include a threaded screw, a clamped area, a
soldered joint, a socket plug, and much more. In terminals and
termination points, a threaded screw is used electrically as well as
fasteners for safety covers, these threaded screws usually come in a flat
or cross-headed slot for a screwdriver to remove.

18. To replace a cable and install it in an enclosure without harming

another cable, it is best practise to use a method that
includes pulling the new one In when removing the old one. This method
is much easier with an extra man, but can be done by yourself with extra
care. To do this, you can use insulation tape to connect the cables
together and direct the cables through it so that they can be passed
securely through the passage without damaging either the cable or any
other cables. In enclosures where a lid can be removed, it is easier to
remove the cables safely by simply ensuring that the cables are not
tangled together and then gently pulling the required cable out, then the
new cable can be placed on top of the other cables.
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19. BS 7671 applies to circuits supplied at nominal voltages up to and

including 1000 volts AC or 1500 volts DC. The standard therefore covers
the 110V and 415V used on our site. BS7671 is currently used in the 18th
edition of the electrical regulations and details specifically the
thicknesses and types of cable to be used in each application of electrical
wiring, when selecting a cable thickness and length in relation to the
voltage and current it will be carrying to ensure the voltage drop is not
too large due to the resistance of the wire.

20. When removing cables that need to be re-attached later in the

process, it is important to understand which cable needs to terminate in
which terminal and which cable is used for each part of the circuit. In
doing so, it is vital to be prepared with as many resources as possible to
help ensure that it is done properly. Some things that are recommended
is to take an image of the component with the wires in to use as a
reference, have the electrical drawings on hand to be able to read them
and understand the wires involved, and have some electrical tape and a
pen to mark the cables.

21. There are many pieces of equipment and tools used in electrical
maintenance activities, these range from tools in the tool bag, to
equipment used in installation activities to fix the machinery, or
equipment needed in mechanical fixes and fittings also. Tools that are
most commonly used in maintenance activities involve screwdrivers for
removing screws, spanners for removing bolts, Allen keys for removing
hex set screws, Side cutters for cutting and making off cables etc. testing
equipment is essential in electrical maintenance as it is important to
know all the electrical properties related to the activity. They are also
important for commissioning new installations and filling out a final test
sheet which is given to the project manager.
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22. Components used for maintenance activities need to be deemed fit for
purpose, this means that they are the correct specification for the
application they are being used for, for a component to be fit for
purpose it must meet certain criteria, such as voltage ratings, current
ratings, resistance ratings, size dimensions, and standards linking to the
specific component. All of these details will be named in a datasheet
that will be supplied with the product; also they will be detailed on the
nameplate or a sticker on the product. When carrying out mechanical
maintenance if a component has lifed then it has come apart from its
surface that it is attached to, if this happens to a seal or a gasket then
this could cause leakages in applications transferring fluids, or it can
allow contaminated objects and substances in which can cause the
insides to become damaged for example a joint box or an isolator.

23. When a component is in place it is possible to adjust it to fit a specific

application in order to function correctly, examples of this is; adjusting a
limit switch so its limit is met, adjusting a dial on a overload, replacing a
lower rated fuse with a higher current rated one in a fuse holder,
Altering the dial on a potentiometer to change the resistance it gives etc.

24. Before starting the activity all the tools must be checked to ensure
they are in working order to carry out the job correctly to the highest
standard. To check these tools a visual inspection must first be carried
out, this is to look for any broken parts of the tool, any sharp edges that
could cause hazard to the person using the tool, any loose handles or
missing protection must be replaced also. With electrical tools and
digital tools a calibration of the tool must be checked also, this can be
done by simply using a standardized source of power and testing the
meter reads the correct value.
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25. When working with electrical equipment it is vital to perform checks

with the electrical supply switched off, this is to check as far as possible
that it is safe to turn on and won’t be negatively affected from the
supply being turned on. If the circuit is turned on and the ‘off-load’ or
‘dead’ tests aren’t carried out the circuits components could be
damaged due to over current, a bare cable could be visible in which case
someone could touch it and suffer an electrical shock, and a component
could break due to it being wired wrong. When performing these checks
it is important to carry out visual checks as well as physical checks with a
multimeter. When carrying out visual checks it is important to consult
the wiring diagrams, this will detail where each wire should go and allow
any misplaced wires to be put in the correct place, also visual inspection
of terminals should be carried out to ensure wires are secured correctly
in them.

26. After completion of a work, a job sheet must be filled out, this will give
details of when the system was non-operational, details of the machine
failure, date the maintenance was performed, details of repair, time
taken to fix and complete downtime, along with any parts used and any
additional information that may be needed to take action to prevent the
breakdown from recurring. A managers signature should be present to
ensure they are also happy that the machine is fully operational and is
hazard free.

27. Different companies will outline their standard operating procedures

for all pieces of equipment and machines, this is to ensure all equipment
is used in a safe way that will utilize the operation of the machine, this
will also help with training purposes with pieces of equipment. When
undertaking the maintenance activities it is important that all people
performing the maintenance complete the tasks in the same way with
the same steps to be used.
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28. When in maintenance activities it is important to use lifting and

handling equipment for heavy loads, this is to save the body and most
importantly the back from injuries. Ways of lifting can include; a crane to
lift up to 10 tons of material, this uses a hook that you attach straps to
which will hoist objects into the air, cranes can only be used by licensed
personnel, we can also use fork lift trucks to move heavy and awkward
equipment around the plants eg cable drums. If carrying something like
25kg it can be carried by hand but legs must be bent and the back must
be kept straight when lifting. You should never over exert yourself and
say if you are uncomfortable lifting something.

29. There are many different problems that can occur in maintenance
activities, these involve inaccurate readings when fault diagnosing, not
marking up items when removing them, not reading manuals before
replacing components, and diagnosing incorrect parts. When an
inaccurate reading is taken in maintenance activities this can cause a
problem with misdiagnosing the faulty component, this can cause a
component that was already working to be changed and the fault will
still be present. Not marking items or taking pictures of them before
replacing them will cause problems because when it comes to replacing
them with new parts the maintenance operative will be unsure which
cables go where, or which parts fit in a certain orientation, an easy
solution to this problem is to mark cables and parts and take pictures of
them to ensure the task can be completed correctly.

30. All waste materials that may be hazardous to the health of users and
those around them are controlled by the COSHH regulations (control of
substances hazardous to health), in these regulations it is outlined that
certain substances that may be waste must be disposed of safely and by
trained and certified people that have been certified safe to handle the
substances. For example at my workplace, waste oil is contained in
barrels and an oil safe worker comes and takes the oil away for us in
order for it to be dealt with safely.
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31. My authority and role as an apprentice electrician allows me to

participate, often under the supervision of a fully qualified colleague, in
work activities. On most jobs, this is the case unless I have a simpler task
to undertake that I can complete myself. If I had any issues with a job
that I was doing myself, I would report to my manager Stuart Pogmore
who would give me ways to go about it.